New Audi Q4 e-tron: more range and technology to remain one of the reference electric cars

That is why I was particularly interested in checking how the Q4 has aged and, above all, whether the improvements Audi now introduces are enough to keep it competitive. The answer is yes. The new Audi Q4 e-tron 2026 is not a profound overhaul. Audi has focused precisely on those areas where the car was starting to show the passage of time the most: range and efficiency, multimedia system, interior presentation and driver assistance systems. And the changes have really suited it well.

The “problem” faced by the model that, until the arrival of the future A2 e-tron at the end of the year, remains the entry point to Audi’s electric range is that while the Q4 has evolved, its rivals have not stood still. In 2021 the Audi stood out quite clearly among premium electric SUVs of its size. Now it has to compete not only with models such as the BMW iX1 and iX2, Mercedes EQA, Volvo EX40 and EC40, but also with cars like the Tesla Model Y, the renewed Skoda Enyaq, the Volkswagen ID.4, the Cupra Tavascan, the Ford Explorer or many other Asian electric SUVs that offer a great deal of technology, range and equipment at very competitive prices.

A design that needed few changes

Audi has not complicated things much with the exterior either. The Q4 still looks like a Q4, and there was no need to go crazy. The main changes affect the front, with a new interpretation of the Singleframe grille now painted in body colour, slightly redesigned bumpers and some elements modified to improve aerodynamics. There are also new wheel designs, colours and additional lighting options. The headlights can feature different selectable digital light signatures via the MMI, while at the rear there are second-generation digital OLED tail lights capable even of displaying certain graphics to warn other road users of potentially dangerous situations.

As I said, these are not revolutionary changes, but they modernise the image sufficiently. And personally I still think the same as when the Q4 first appeared: its proportions are very well achieved. At a length of 4.6 metres, it has a reasonable exterior size for everyday driving without giving up a truly practical interior. And this remains one of its main virtues.

Here too, it is worth highlighting how well Audi’s Sportback formula works in the Spanish market. Normally, when talking about a coupé-style SUV, you have to accept some practical sacrifice in exchange for a sportier body, but in this case the compromise is minimal. The more pronounced roofline drop greatly improves the car’s silhouette and also clearly benefits aerodynamics: the drag coefficient is approximately 0.26 compared with 0.28 for the SUV, a difference that helps explain why the Sportback homologates a few additional kilometres of range, though not enough for this figure to be particularly significant.

Things get interesting when you open the tailgate. The Sportback offers 527 litres of boot space, even slightly more capacity under the parcel shelf than the SUV, and it still has a huge tailgate and a very usable loading aperture. The shape of the body does not mean any meaningful loss of rear legroom. There is somewhat less headroom available — around four centimetres according to measurements — but in practice it remains perfectly usable by average-sized adults, although access to the rear seats is a little more comfortable in the SUV due to the sloping line of the roof.

Inside is where the new Audi Q4 e-tron changes the most

While you have to look a little harder on the outside to discover the novelties, once you open the door the evolution becomes much more evident. The dashboard has been redesigned around what Audi calls the digital stage, following the philosophy we have been seeing in the brand’s latest models. The instrumentation uses an 11.9-inch screen, while the new central MMI grows to 12.8 inches. A third 12-inch screen for the front passenger can optionally be added. But more important than the size of the screens is how they work. The previous Q4 was never technologically poor, far from it. In fact, in our 2021 test we already highlighted the clarity of the instrumentation and multimedia system. But just using the latest Audi models shows that the brand’s digital experience has advanced enormously.

The new One Connected Infotainment system is faster, more intuitive and visually much more modern. The organisation of the menus makes it easy to find the main functions, and the voice assistant Audi assistant allows various functions to be controlled using natural language. It even integrates ChatGPT for certain queries. All of this may seem secondary when buying a car, but it stops being so when you have to live with it every day. A fast screen, with well-organised menus where you can reach a function without four or five taps, is far more important than having twenty apps you will use twice during the vehicle’s entire life. The only thing I still don’t entirely like is the car’s navigation system, whose directions are not always easy to follow. In this respect I prefer to use the wireless connection, Apple CarPlay and my favourite app, which is Waze.

The centre console is also improved, with two 15 W cooled wireless chargers, and Audi has worked on materials and trims. The so-called Softwrap extends from the doors along the dashboard and helps create a visual sensation of higher quality. And here the Q4 also seems to make progress. One of the few criticisms that could be levelled at the previous model was that, although it was a perfectly well-assembled car, some surfaces and certain plastics did not convey the premium feel one might expect given its price and the fact that it is a Audi. Now the presentation is more refined and the cabin is much more in line with the latest-generation Audi models. In fact, in its press kit the brand announces an improvement in the quality of the materials used as one of the novelties.

More range without fitting a bigger battery

Audi keeps the two known batteries, with 63 kWh gross and 59 kWh usable in the entry version, and 82 kWh gross and 77 kWh usable in the higher versions. What changes to deliver greater range is efficiency. The new rear electric motor, APP350, is combined with updated power electronics whose inverter uses silicon carbide semiconductors. Software improvements have also been introduced, along with changes as seemingly small as using a lower-viscosity lubricant in the transmission. Adding all these measures together, Audi speaks of an efficiency improvement of close to 10% compared with the previous model.

It may seem like a mere technical detail, but in an electric car this is precisely the kind of evolution I find most interesting. The solution to increasing range should not always consist of fitting ever larger, heavier and more expensive batteries. Covering more kilometres using practically the same energy is a far more intelligent development. Combined with the improved aerodynamics, the result is that the Q4 Sportback e-tron can now reach up to 592 km WLTP, while the SUV reaches 578 km in its most efficient configurations. And those roughly 600 homologated kilometres raise the bar over the previous model by around 70 additional kilometres, which is no bad thing.

Q4 e-tron performance: the version I would choose

The entry Q4 e-tron uses the small battery and offers 150 kW (204 CV) with rear-wheel drive. Above it sits the Q4 e-tron performance, which combines the 82 kWh battery with a rear motor producing 210 kW (286 CV) and 545 Nm. Finally, the Q4 e-tron quattro adds a second motor for all-wheel drive and offers 220 kW (299 CV). The most balanced choice seems clear: the smaller variant may make a lot of sense for those who mainly use the car in town or on interurban routes and charge regularly at home. It offers more than enough performance and considerably reduces the entry price. But for a car that will also be used for long journeys, the performance is once again the most recommended version, exactly as with other Audi electric models.

For 5,600 euros more than the base model you not only get more power, but also the 77 kWh usable battery and greater range. The 286 CV also provide more than enough performance for any situation, without having to carry the extra weight, consumption and price of the quattro version if you really don’t need all-wheel drive. The quattro makes sense for those who particularly value that traction capability, regularly drive in areas with difficult weather or simply want the best performance. But for most users, the performance seems to me the most logical purchase.